Microsoft has released a new service pack for Exchange 2010

This is the second service pack for the software and improves upon the Outlook Web App (OWA) and support for hybrid cloud systems.The update also packages up quarterly updates made to the online service since the introduction of service pack 1 in August 2010,giving on-premises and hybrid users the benefits of code updates and patches from the last year.

The technical

The service pack comes as a 535.2MB download and requires Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or Windows Server 2008 Server R2 Standard (or just Standard) to run.
It is a software update for the installed version of Microsoft Exchange 2010 (as opposed to the cloud service).

What's new?

Included in SP2 is a new version of OWA called OWA Mini. This is a simple, text-based, browse only version of the full OWA, designed to be globally compatible with all internet enabled mobile devices. It allows users to access their mailbox and the global address book on low bandwidth and low resolution handsets.
On the admin side, it is now possible to enable cross-site silent redirection for OWA users. This gives users a single sign-on experience when CAS must redirect an OWA request to a non-local Active Directory site, rather than having to re-enter credentials.

 

What's improved?

There is a new setup wizard designed to streamline the process of setting up a hybrid cloud/on-premises system, combining Exchange Online in Office 365 and on-premises email. The wizard can be used to link mailboxes, archives, calendars and all other shared functions simply to ensure that data is current across all accounts.
Perhaps the biggest improvement comes to address book segmentation, which now allows greater control over what entries users can see based upon pre-defined policies.

As Exchange general manager Kevin Allison explains in a video interview  given in May to announce SP2, this is a feature that has been requested by users for some time and will be useful in a number of circumstances. He cites examples such as inter-operating companies who wish to keep address books separate and users being prevented access to specific address records for legal and compliance reasons.

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